The Labor of Love and Lydia
by kitotterkat
Summary: Haley has to deliver her second baby, but Nathan is miles away on a job with Clay. Will they get home in time? Or will Quinn and Brooke have to convince Haley to deliver this baby on her own? Written in honor of tonight's highly anticipated episode! R&R!


Summary: Haley has to deliver her second baby, but Nathan is miles away on a job with Clay. Will they get home in time? Or will Quinn and Brooke have to convince Haley to deliver this baby on her own?

A/N: I hope you enjoy my latest story! I can't wait for the birth of Lydia on OTH, so I decided to write one myself. :) This explores how Lydia's birth would be if Nathan was away on a trip with Clay, and if Quinn had to support Haley through her labor while Nathan raced to make it home in time. If you read it, please review it- I love comments! I hope you enjoy it! :)

Disclaimer: I wish I did, but I don't own One Tree Hill. Story and dialogue is my own, all characters are borrowed.

* * *

Haley is sitting in the hospital spitting mad. "UGH! This is so like Nathan … I swear, that boy manages to ALWAYS be gone at the WORST possible times. It started when he went to away games in college. His first away game? Jamie's first fever! I was FREAKING out and Nathan was in Minnesota! Oh, it doesn't stop there though … let me tell you about the time .."

I sit wearily next to Haley and let her ramble. I have two younger sisters and a handful of friends in New York that have kids, but somehow, I've always managed to be away or occupied when my mom … or my friends went into labor. I always regretted that … until today. Haley in labor is enough to even make _me _never want to have kids … much less ever be there during a labor again.

I nod in an effort to pacify Haley, but her angry list of grievances against Nathan are all white noise to me. I know she doesn't mean a word of it. She'll probably cry in remorse when Nathan and Clay finally get here. Which, thankfully, according to Clay's text, should be in less than 2 hours. They were 100 miles away now. They had been in Durham with that pitcher Clay can't shut up about. Clay told me Nathan flipped when he heard Haley had gone into labor. She still had 10 days before her due date, so it wasn't like anyone expected this to be d-day. Even so, Clay had told me that Nathan had been reluctant to leave his wife. God, if this is how Haley is acting, Nathan must be ten times worse. Clay told me after the 80s prom that Nathan had freaked out on Clay for not getting him home in time for Haley's birthday.

If that's how he was then, how would he be acting at the possibility of missing the birth of his second CHILD?

I hope Clay gets home alive.

* * *

"Don't worry, Clay … it's going to be fine!"

I look anxiously over at Nathan. He's reclined the seat a little and is laying back, eyes closed, sun on his face and a small smirk on his lips. I'm just ready for the reality of the situation to hit him: his wife is in _labor._ She probably wants to kill him for not being there.

"We're less than a hundred miles away and I'm going 70. We should be there in less than two hours." Oh god, are my palms sweating? The steering wheel is starting to shine.

"Well, we'll get there a lot faster if we don't get pulled over by the cops. Slow down."

"Nate … your wife is in _labor._"

Nathan shrugged. "We'll get there."

UGH … what is this? His indifference is killing me. "How are you not panicking? You freaked on me when we almost missed Haley's birthday!"

"Because, there's just no way I can miss Lydia's birth. It simply isn't going to happen." Nathan said confidently. "The universe just wouldn't take that away from me."

I can't help smiling at Nathan's faith. He loves being a father to Jamie. God, that little girl is going to have him wrapped around her little finger. I already know it … Nathan is going to do _anything_ for his little girl. "She's going to be beautiful, Nate."

Nathan smiled. "Just like her mom."

* * *

"Quinn … QUINN?"

I jump. "Sorry, Hales." I look down at my cell phone. "Nathan just texted me. He said 'on our way, can't wait to see my beautiful girls.' Aww .. isn't that sweet?"

"Why did he text you that? God, it's like he's _trying_ to avoid me! Oh, God, it's like he doesn't want anything to do with me! Do you think he wants a divorce?"

I nearly roll my eyes before I figure out that she is compeltely, utterly and unfortunatley serious. "NO." I almost yell. "Never."

Haley sighs tearfully. "He was always a playboy in high school. I mean, why would he tether himself to us?" She asks, caressing her stomach and wincing a bit as another contraction hits her. "I guess we had a good run … good memories, but oh, is Nathan smoking! Girls have always wanted him: in highschool, college, the nanny, Bobcat cheerleaders … and they're all SKINNY! I look like a whale … worse than a whale, even … a pregnant whale!" She grabbed a tissue convienently placed on the hospital's bedside table.

"Well, you won't be pregnant for much longer!" I say, attempting to be optimistic.

Haley groaned loudly at that. "Don't remind me! Do you know how much birth _hurts?_ And how utterly _gross_ it is? Ugh! It's like something out of _Saw!_"

I've never been good with gore, but I'd like to think that I'm better now after the gunshot wound episode. And I know I'll be good with Haley. Like when I helped clean Clay's gunshot wound, I had no aversion to it. I mean, I love Clay, so I was happy to help him. I'm sure it will be the same with Haley. "I'll be by your side, Haley, no matter how gross it is."

Haley choked back some tears. Her eyes watered as she looked at me. "This hurts, Quinny." She said in a small voice. Nothing about how she looked now screamed crazy hormonal pregnant lady to me. Right now, she just looked like a girl that really needed her boy.

"I know." I don't, but I can only imagine.

"Nathan's supposed to be here."

"He will be." He has to be.

"I _need_ him. I can't do this without him."

"He'll be here, Hales. I promise."

Minutes later, after a particularly nasty contraction (they apparently get worse as the labor progresses), Haley asks for some ice chips. I'm thankful for the distraction. I leave the room and dial the Baker's house number.

"Quinn? Hello? OMG! Is Haley okay?" Only Brooke would literally say O-M-G.

"She's fine. Thanks for watching Jamie. But, listen, is Julian there too?"

"Yeah, he and Jamie are playing catch in the backyard."

"Awesome. Can you get here? Can Julian watch Jamie solo?"

"Yeah, of course … but what's up?"

I sigh. "Hale is just freaking out with her hormones, Nathan and Clay won't be here for at least another 45 minutes, and I just think Haley would feel better with more of her support system here. I mean, Lucas and Peyton are trying to move their flight up, but nobody was expecting Haley's labor to happen so soon."

"Of course, I mean, I'd love to help … I'll be right there."

"Thanks, Brooke." I say, relieved. Before I head to the ice machine, I send off a text to my boyfriend.

* * *

"Quinn just sent you a text." Nathan observed, cracking an eye open.

"Read it for me?" I ask, wanting to get to Tree Hill as safely and as quickly as possible.

"Dude, what if it's something like … sexy?"

"I doubt Quinn is going to sext me while her younger sister is in labor."

"Haley probably would." Nathan muttered as he reached for my phone. "It says 'get here soon.'"

"Text her our ETA, okay?" I request.

" … Done."

"So, are you excited?" I can't really imagine how Nathan's feeling right now. It probably hasn't totally hit him that by the end of the day, he's going to have a daughter. Sarah and I talked about kids once, but it was one of those 'not for a long time' conversations. Quinn has mentioned she wants a kid too, eventually, but I know that right now we're just enjoying the time we have with the family that are in our lives right now- Nathan, Haley, Jamie, Brooke, Julian, Alex, Mouth, Millie, Chase … we've all created our own (non- biological) family. And we're a lot more loving and supportive than my actual family ever was. It was just mom and I after dad left, and I felt like mom never really got over that. I can't imagine being raised into a family like Jamie has, or being the kind of family man that Nathan is. The fact that Nathan was so severe about walking away from the NBA when he learneda bout his back- and it wasn't a concern for him, really, it was more for Haley, Jamie, and his new daughter.

"I'm very excited." Nathan said eventually. "But I'm nervous, too. Taking care of Jamie when he as just born … God, it's so surreal now, I can't believe it's eve real. I don't know how Haley and I did it the first time- especially with work and basketball and college on top of everything."

Wow. Never would I guess that Nathan would have doubts about being a good father, or being able to handle it. Nathan is the best father I know. Jamie absolutely adores him, and even though he often had to be absent day- to- day because of his responsibilities as a Bobcat, he was always serious about making it home for the important things. Even if his back hadn't been an issue this season, I think Nathan still would have quit because he wouldn't have wanted to miss anything with Haley's new pregnancy. He is the best husband, too. I watch him and I know that Quinn and I will make it, because I know how to treat a woman. Nathan and Haley have such a deep affection and respect for each other that they make it seem absolutely effortless when they're together, even though I know it never really has been. Sometimes Nathan and Haley's relationship reads like a bad soap opera with the psycho nannies, sadistic bookies, seductive musicians, and volatile parents, and yet, somehow they always manage to come out of their trials together, and stronger than ever. It's amazing to watch. "Nate, you know you and Haley will be just fine. More than fine. You guys are the best parents I know."

Nathan smiles contentedly. "Thanks, man. Well, we _will_ be the best parents … as long as Haley doesn't kill me when we get there."

My pulse quickens a little as I subtly press on the gas pedal a little more. No way that this day is going to be ruined for them.

* * *

"I mean, she's _really_ freaking out right now."

"I know!"

"I have _never_ seen her this wound up!"

"I know!"

"What are you going to do?"

I roll my eyes. "That's why I called you."

Brooke looked at me with a deer- in- the- headlights expression. "What am I supposed to do?"

"You're her best friend!" I'm desperate for help.

"Yeah, but you're her sister!"

"You've been closer to her for longer!"

"You've known her longer!" She protests. "It's usually Haley taking care of me! Naley are the most stable couple I know. Haley never needs me like I need her."

That says something about the couples that she knows, I reflect momentarily before I drag myself back to the problem at hand. "Haley thinks we're finding her a nurse right now … we should probably go do that."

"Oh, yeah!" Brooke said and takes off down the hall, three- inch heels clacking nosily on the white linoleum floor.  
I run to catch up with her. It's shocking how fast she can go in those spiked shoes. "So, Nathan and Haley are really the most _stable_ couple you know?"

Brooke nods. "No matter what, they get through it together. That's the thing about right now: I mean, she never needs me to help her because she's got Nathan, even if just on the phone. You can call everyone in Haley's phonebook, but unless you get a hold of the 6'2, black- haired, blue- eyed, basketball- playing father of Haley's children, you're just putting a bandaid over a bullet wound. Oh, or Lucas. Lucas is good too."

"_Not_ helping Brooke."

Brooke shrugged. "I never said it would help. That's just how Naley is. Oh, lookie! That woman in all- purple is either a nurse or a fashion disaster. If the former, she can help us. If the latter, I can help her. Either way, we should go talk to her!" And she takes off again.

"God, Brooke, wait up!"

* * *

"We're nearly half an hour away, Nate. You can text Haley that."

Nathan laughed. "Haley won't answer me. She's furious with me."

"What?"

"She texted me about an hour ago and said that I better be dead because if I'm not already, I will be when I find her."

"Gosh, I can't believe this is happening. I mean, we specifically planned this trip at this time because we figured this was the best bet that we _wouldn't_ miss everything."

Nathan shrugged. "If there's one thing I've learned in all my time with Haley, it's that you really can't plan anything. It all works out in the end. Haley's hormones are just _really _out of control right now."

"She always seems to put- together. I've been surprised at how calm she's been."

Nathan laughed at that. "Well, yeah, she hides it well, because she never wanted to cry in front of Jamie. But sometimes she's a mess when it's just the two of us."

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah. Like, remember when you and Quinn watched Jamie last month?"

"For the whole day? How could I forget?"

"Well, it took so long because Haley and I were planning on painting Lydia's room but her hormones were going berserk so she kept changing her mind about the color we were going to paint the walls. She kept freaking out and saying that I was sabotaging the baby by trying to paint her walls a shade of lavender. It was ridiculous. And I told you about Valentine's day."

"So did you ever get the walls painted?"

"Yeah, thank god. But we were going shopping tomorrow for baby clothes and some last- minute extras, so Haley's probably freaking out about that right about now."

* * *

"OH MY GOD. You know what I just remembered? Our daughter will have no clothes! This baby wasn't supposed to come so early! Nathan and I bought all the essentials months ago, but we were planning on buying some stuff tomorrow … like CLOTHES! I'm going to have a naked baby girl!" Haley grabbed tissues from the box with gusto and pressed like twenty at one time to her face, sobbing hysterically.

"Haley, calm down." Brooke said, rubbing her hand up and down Haley's arm. "You got plenty of cute clothes at the baby shower. Plus, I'm a fashion designer! I can whip things up really fast."

"I love you Brooke." Haley said softly. "You're my best friend."

"I love you too Hales. Everything is going to be fine."

Haley nodded. "I know. I'm just … god, I miss Nathan. He was there for me last time, and I just don't know if I could do this alone."

"You could, because you're the strongest person I know. But you're not going to have to, under any circumstances. Quinn and I are here for you, 200 percent, and Nathan is on his way. He'll be here before you know it."

"I just … I need him to be here this time. For everything."

I speak up, knowing I have helpful information. "He and Clay are already working out how they can do even more business from Tree Hill. Nathan doesn't want to leave you either, Haley."

"Sometimes I just think, he has so much potential. Sometimes I wonder if we're the reason he wasn't in the NBA for a long time, or if we're the reason he quit."

"Haley!" Brooke admonished. "Nathan never would have made it back to the NBA if it wasn't for you and Jamie. You gave him something to fight for- something that pulled him past his depression. You and Jamie woke him up and made him see the light. The comeback was because you two inspired him so deeply."

Haley's face crumpled up and she started crying again. Brooke looked at me with a panicked expression. "What did I say?" She hissed.

"These are happy tears!" Haley wailed.

"Then why do you look so sad?" Brooke shrieked.

"Mrs. Scott?"

We all turn around. The nurse is in the doorway carrying her chart.

"Yes?" Haley said in a small voice, sniffling.

"Is everything okay?" The nurse asked. "How is the epidural working for you?"

"It still hurts." Haley said honestly. "I can't imagine how it feels without one."

The nurse chuckled at that. "I can assure you, the epidural does take away the majority of the pain. But I think it's time to check how dilated you are."

"Weird." Brooke whispered to me. I nod back to her. We avert our eyes, pretending to be interested in the window in Haley's room, until the nurse folds the sheet back down. "Haley, you're 9 centimeters dilated, which is plenty to begin pushing. Are you ready?"

Haley shook her head violently. The nurse turned to us, confused.

"Her husband is like, fifteen minutes away." I explain.

"Oh... well, Haley, if we wait for much longer, the baby could go into distress and that would be risky, especially given that this baby is already premature."

Haley clutched her stomach, getting paler by the second. "I _can't_ do this without Nathan."

"Haley! Pull yourself together! Nathan will be here, but your baby might be hurt if you keep doing this!" Brooke exploded. "Now, there is a reason that you are the put together one and I am the neurotic one … because I can't be the calm one! So pull yourself together and start being Haley James Scott again so I can start being Brooke Penelope Davis Baker again!"

Haley and I both stared at her.

"Okay." Haley said.

* * *

"Quinn just texted me. Haley's going to start pushing soon."

"We're five minutes outside of Tree Hill. We'll be at the hospital in ten minutes." I say as I move onto the highway's off ramp.

"Okay. And Clay?"

"Yeah?"

"You can speed now."

* * *

"Nathan just texted me. They just passed into Tree Hill. Five minutes, Hales. He'll be here in five minutes and you HAVE to start pushing." I said desperately. Given that these were special circumstances, both Brooke and I were in the delivery room with Haley. It wasn't much of a delivery though, considering that Haley basically refused to push with any force.

"If you don't push soon, Mrs. Scott, the baby will go into distress, and then we'll really have a problem." The doctor warned.

Haley's breathing has become labored. When a contraction hits her (which is about every thirty seconds), she cries out in pain. Giving birth seems to be a lot more painful than how they make it out on TV.

"Haley, you can do this. Just take my hand, and Quinn- you go to the other side of the bed, and take Haley's other hand, and you squeeze onto us and we deliver this baby, girl power style. If Nathan doesn't make it, he doesn't make it, but he'll be here right after." Brooke said. She's calmer than she realizes. She'll be a great mom- she's good in a crisis. I'll have to tell her that when this is all over. Until then, I catch her eye and smile at her, thankful she's here with me, too. It's hard to believe that Brooke Davis has been in my life for just under a year. She's become one of my best friends this past year, and, along with Haley, Nathan, and Clay, has supported me through some of my toughest moments.

"Another contraction is coming, Haley, are you ready?"

Haley's eyes are squeezed together so tightly that some small tears are leaking out of her eyes, but she nods quickly.

"Okay, get ready to push!"

* * *

"I'm looking for Haley Scott, she's my wife and she was just moved into the delivery room." Nathan gasped as he finally arrived at the nurse's station. He sprinted the whole way into the hospital, me hot on his trail.

"Uh," the nurse checks her sheet, "Mrs. Scott is in room 232."

"Thank you." Nathan tears off again.

"It hurts, guys!" Haley wailed. "Like, it really, really, really hurts. I swear, Jamie was so much easier!"

"You're doing so great, Haley!" I said, even though it didn't seem like all that much was happening. Haley would clutch onto our hands screaming bloody murder (bad metaphor) for about 20 seconds, and then she would stop, more or less passing out on the bed for about 20 seconds, and then she would have to push again.

"Haley? HALEY?" The distant voice is like a sign from the heavens. Nathan was close by.

"Thank God." Brooke sighed. "I'm outta here." She stood up after yanking her hand away from Haley's. "God, I need an ice pack," she said, gently massaging her hand. She turns to me now. "Quinn?"

In all of her not- so- infinite wisdom, I can tell that Brooke is right. As amazing as it had been … well, not too amazing, but I'm sure it will be in about three years when I regain feeling in my hand … this is Haley and Nathan's time. Plus, if Nathan was here now, that meant my sexy- ass boyfriend was too. I stand up to leave and look down at my sister, caressing her forehead, which is literally drenched with sweat. "You okay?"

Haley nods, tears in her eyes. I can't tell if they're from pain or relief, but I'm sure it's a little of both. "Thank you." She whispers. "Thank you so much."

I shrug. "I don't know how much I really did …"

"More than you know, I swear. I would have been even more of a wreck without you here. I love you, big sis."

I pull on her ear affectionately. "I love you too, little sis. I can't wait to be Lydia's aunt, so get her here quickly, okay?"

Haley nods. "I promise."

In that second, Nathan comes bursting through the door like a bat out of hell. "Haley?"

Haley's face instantly brightens about a thousand watts. "Nathan!"

I have never seen Nathan look so relieved, or so remorseful. He crosses the room in 2 great strides and instantly takes her hand and kisses her forehead. Haley takes his face in her hands and guides it to her lips where they kiss deeply. "Baby … I am so sorry I missed out on so much." Nathan said after they broke apart breathlessly.

"It's okay. I had a lot of help from my girls … but you're here now. That's all that matters." Haley responds. I take the opportunity to slip out of the room, thanking God that Nathan got here in time. He would have never forgiven himself if he had missed his daughter's birth.

On the other side of the door, the mood is a lot different. Brooke is on the phone with Julian, and I can tell she's directing him to get himself and Jamie here as soon as possible because "the baby is like, for sure on its way if the pain in my hand indicates something. I mean, thank GOD that Hotshot got here … I really don't know what I would have done if I had to see that through."

Clay is sitting on a chair in the waiting room hunched over, and he immediately launches over to me when I close the door to the delivery room behind me. "Thank god we didn't miss it!" He says, hugging me strongly.

"Everything is fine." I repeat. "Everything is going to be just fine."

And for the first time today, I totally believe that.

* * *

Afterword:

It takes almost thirty minutes of high- pitched shrieking and sobbing for silence to descend on the hallway outside of room 232. When it does, we all breathe a sigh of relief.

Clay has spent the last thirty minutes telling me about his journey with Nathan. I'm surprised when Clay finishes with, "So, yeah, he was the picture of calm until we got in sight of the hospital. Then I think it hit him and he started flipping out. You should have seen him. He ran so fast that I could have signed him for sprinting!"

"But it all turned out okay." I keep saying. It's a wonderful feeling, knowing that everything really is going to plan. Clay told me that Nathan refused to believe that he was going to miss his daughter's birth because he reasoned that the universe just wouldn't do that to him. It's good to know that Nathan had that kind of faith, even in the hard circumstances we faced this afternoon.

"You know the cool part?" Clay asks a beat after the silence descends on the room.

"What?"

"Well, we were really a part of the birth. And when Lydia asks about that day, we'll actually have something to tell her. Something good that'll make her laugh. And if Haley and Nathan had any doubts about being good parents, they know they will be now, because they got through it together … but they also could have gotten through it apart."

I nod, totally believing every word that Clay says. I look over to Brooke and Julian, and they seem to be having relatively the same conversation with Jamie passed out between them. The sun in finally setting on today, one of the most memorable days of all our lives. It's kind of amazing, in a way, to know that we were here for it all, and this day is going to live on forever in all of us. I can't stop smiling knowing that I was a part of bringing my niece into the world, even if in a really small way.

The next second, the door opens and four adults leap up like we had been planning on it this whole time. Nathan is standing there with what looks like the smallest bundle of pink wrapped in his arms- ever. His eyes are full of tears and he can't stop looking down at her. He looks so adorable, so brave and strong as he holds this bundle of pink like it possesses all of the secrets of the world. In this moment, I am so thankful that I remembered in our frenzy to get out of the house to bring my camera. I grab it and start taking a billion pictures before Nathan laughs. "Quinn, put the camera down and say hello to your niece … and Brooke, put the camera phone down and say hello to your goddaughter."

Brooke begins to squeal before Julian claps his hand over her mouth. "I'm a godparent?"

Nathan nods. "Well, along with Quinn, Julian and Clay, yes, you are. Haley and I have been talking about it for a while, and we couldn't choose. You four are all very important to us, and today we know that more than ever." He holds my gaze and I can tell we're going to have a long talk involving a lot of 'thank you's' when the dust settles. He moves closer to us as gently as possible. "So, everyone, this is our daughter Lydia Brooklyn Scott."

Brooke squeals again, but this time Julian doesn't cover her mouth. We're all speechless at the immense beauty in front of us. She is already the most beautiful niece I have ever seen.

"Oh my god, she's gorgeous." Brooke breathed.

"She really is." Clay agreed, squeezing me on the shoulder. Julian is only nodding, still in shock at seeing this beautiful girl in our world.

Nathan is so glowing with pride right now I think he could light up all of Tree Hill. "Haley is … exhausted, because this delivery process was much longer than last time. There was some concern that the baby was going to go into distress if she didn't get her out soon. We were minutes away from doing a C Section, but Haley just kept pushing. It turns out Lydia just didn't want to leave. She's completely healthy, with ten fingers and ten toes and the most beautiful set of lungs in the whole wide world. Haley wanted to tell you all that she loves you, and she can't wait to see you. Then she passed out."

Everyone laughs at that. Brooke asks if she can hold her 'goddaughter slash her middle name was inspired by my first name' and everyone laughs at that too before Nathan hands her off. Predictibly, Brooke starts crying, and I grab my camera and start taking pictures. These moments are too beautiful not to capture for eternity. You never know which one will end up on your living room wall for the next fifty- something years. But I am interrupted minutes later by Nathan's hand on my shoulder.

"I just said this to Brooke, and I want to say it to you … thank you, Quinn, so much for taking care of my baby girl … and my other baby girl." Nathan said, smiling happily. He's happier than I have _ever_ seen him today. This is one of the best days of his life. It's one of the best days of mine, too.

"I love you Nate. And I love Haley, and I love Lydia. And being a part of this … well, it was amazing. I know you think you should be thanking me, but really … thank you. If you hadn't been away with Clay, I wouldn't have experienced this in the same way. And what I saw today, well, it was amazing."

"You're going to make such a good aunt." Nathan said, hugging me.

"And this girl is going to have the two best parents around." I whisper back.

"Thanks Quinn."

"No, seriously, Nathan. Thank you."

At the end of the day, that's what it came down to. And as the sun rose set on that day, I knew it was going to be a day that I remember for the rest of my life as one of the best days ever. Today was the day I became an aunt, again. Lydia would grow up and become someone amazing, just like her parents. And when she was big enough to talk and ask questions, she'd come to me and ask how she was born. And like Clay predicted we would, I would take her into my lap and we'd stare out into the world and I'd tell her about today, where her mother was freaking out because her daddy wasn't there, and how I was there, and I saw everything, and how it was one of the greatest days in the history of ever. And Lydia would ask why, and I'd tell her, "Because that's the day we all got you."

The End

A/N: thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Please review : )


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